(GIRL turns, just stares at her until she goes back to sleep. Glances at BOY. BOY glances at her, theturns away abruptly. GIRL watches PERSON 5 again. BOY watches father.)

(silence)

PERSON 6

(same trance-like sleep-talking:)

What’d ya do with em?

(BOY and GIRL both turn to look at PERSON 6)

PERSON 6 (Cont.)

. . . the toilet? . . . He was only three. . . .

(silence)

PERSON 5

Well what sense does that make . . .

(BOY and GIRL watch PERSON 5 now)

(silence)

PERSON 6

Let’s bury him . . .

(BOY and GIRL watch PERSON 6)

PERSON 5

So we’ll fish it out . . . We’ve finished . . .

(BOY and GIRL watch PERSON 5. Then look at each other. BOY turns away abruptly. GIRL watches BOY. Finally GIRL turns away; looks at grandmother; looks at driver; looks at back of seat in front of her. Long silence.)

PERSON 8

Take off the clown suit, Eve . . .

(BOY and GIRL turn and watch PERSON 8, who also sleeps)

PERSON 5

Gone. . . .

(BOY and GIRL turn and
watch PERSON 5)

PERSON 8

Take it off and get into bed. . . .

(BOY and GIRL turn and watch PERSON 8)

(Silence. GIRL turns and stares at BOY. BOY, feeling her stare, looks at her, turning away abruptly. GIRL watches BOY briefly. Then both stare at the backs of the seats in front of them, listening.)

(**Each line of dialogue that follows should interrupt pauses/silences of varying lengths. Ideally, there should be long silences early on, growing increasingly shorter, as the dialogue becomes gradually more rapid, back-and-forth as though the sleeping characters are engaged in a heated argument, for example. By the end, the lines should overlap, all characters speaking more loudly and in a frenzy, tossing and turning though still asleep.)

PERSON 6

When you die I’m gonna flush you. . . . That’s my pain. . . .

PERSON 7

Don’t touch my arm. . . .

PERSON 6

Give it back now. . . .

PERSON 7

That’s not my arm. . . .

PERSON 6

Don’t open that. . . .

PERSON 7

Where’s the switch? . . .

PERSON 6

You’ll be sorry. . . .

PERSON 8

You think I asked for this to happen? . . .

PERSON 7

You can’t touch it. . . .

PERSON 8

How do you figure a naked face . . . .

PERSON 7

Will she come? . . .

PERSON 6

Well that’s the last time . . . .

PERSON 7

It’s not mine. . . .

PERSON 7

What happened to the sound of her? . . .

PERSON 7

I’m not here. . . .

PERSON 7

No. . . .

PERSON 7

I’m over there. . . .

PERSON 8

No, it’s like the rings. . . .

PERSON 7

Stop with the plunking about. . . .

PERSON 8

You count the rings. . . .

PERSON 7

I can’t see. . . .

PERSON 8

Like on a tree. . . .

PERSON 7

Get away from there. . . .

PERSON 6

He’ll never be the same. . . .

PERSON 7

I can’t feel. . . .

PERSON 8

You cut it open. . . .

PERSON 6

It’ll never . . . .

PERSON 7

Whose piano is that? . . .

PERSON 8

Burn it, not . . . .

PERSON 7

Who are you touching? . . .

PERSON 8

Who are you on top of the world . . . .

PERSON 7

Yours? . . .

PERSON 8

Not me, don’t burn me. . . .

PERSON 7

Dad? . . .

PERSON 8

Well then so ya throw it back with the rest of the congregation. . . .

PERSON 7

Maybe if we killed it . . . .

PERSON 6

Don’t kill it! . . .

PERSON 8

So kill it then if you’re so . . . .

PERSON 6

There’s gonna be somebody here any minute. . . .

PERSON 7

Squashed it . . . .

PERSON 6

I’ll be long gone. . . .

PERSON 7

Send it away. . . .

PERSON 6

You’ll be sorry you ever . . . .

PERSON 7

Bring it here. . . .

PERSON 8

The ceiling’s flooded, you can’t . . . .

PERSON 7

Get off me. . . .

PERSON 8

To drink the piano? . . .

PERSON 7

Mom’s boiling water. . . .

PERSON 8

It’s rotten. . . .

PERSON 7

We have to hide. . . .

PERSON 6

I’ll hide. . . .

PERSON 8

Your organs are dilated. . . .

PERSON 7

She’ll throw the pot. . . .

PERSON 6

Not on the grave, there’s no room. . . .

PERSON 7

She’s crying . . . .

PERSON 8

That smells like a falling . . . .

PERSON 7

I don’t have it, Mother. . . .

PERSON 6

Mom!

PERSON 6

If my father were here he’d take the bread from you. . . .

PERSON 7

It’s just . . . .

PERSON 5

I’m not diving under! . . .

PERSON 7

. . . gone. . . .

PERSON 5

If you’d hold me . . . .

PERSON 7

Here’s one. . . .

PERSON 8

I don’t care how good it sounds, . . . .

PERSON 7

Here’s a piece of me. . . .

PERSON 5

I’d never come back. . . .

PERSON 7

It’s not broken. . . .

PERSON 5

What then? . . .

PERSON 6

I own it with my own . . . .

PERSON 5

The rivets are coming loose. . . .

PERSON 7

From the inside. . . .

PERSON 6

And you can’t . . . .

PERSON 7

But don’t cut it. . . .

PERSON 6

Mom! . . .

PERSON 5

She’s asleep! Let her . . . .

PERSON 7

It’ll make you cry. . . .

PERSON 8

Eve, just get out from under there. . . .

PERSON 7

Other . . . .

PERSON 8

You wanna suffocate like all the rest a the . . . .

PERSON 7

Some of you . . . .

PERSON 7

. . . will see . . .

PERSON 6

Dad! . . .

PERSON 7

Let’s go around again. . . .

PERSON 8

It’s too late for the sheep to be . . . .

PERSON 7

Before we came to you we learned . . . .

PERSON 5

There’s no way I’m leaving that here with . . . .

PERSON 7

It’s not going to pay. . . .

PERSON 5

Like you’re still inside her. . . .

PERSON 7

My dress . . . .

PERSON 6

She stole my pain! . . .

PERSON 7

There’s a spot on my dress. . . .

PERSON 6

With my own money! . . .

PERSON 7

I looked so pretty. . . .

PERSON 5

Well my legs may not fit me, but . . . .

PERSON 8

O.K., fine. So just give me the rope. . . .

PERSON 5

Well if that’s what you want then give it to me. . . .

PERSON 6

I’ll never find . . . .

PERSON 7

Put that rope away. . . .

PERSON 6

Ever again from now on! Never! . . .

PERSON 8

You watchin’? . . .

PERSON 7

Just be quiet. . . .

PERSON 5

Don’t look. I don’t want to hear it. . . .

PERSON 6

O.K. I’ll be quiet. . . .

PERSON 7

Let’s don’t say another word. . . .

PERSON 6

But I’m never coming back. . . .

PERSON 7

Let’s just go to sleep. . . .

PERSON 8

Good night.

PERSON 5

Good night. Tell him that I . . . .

PERSON 7

Go to sleep. . . .

PERSON 6

In the morning don’t tell them anything. . . .

PERSON 7

O.K.? . . .

PERSON 6

O.K.? . . .

PERSON 5

O.K.? . . .

PERSON 8

Good night. . . .

PERSON 7

Sleep. . . .

(long silence)

(Sound of air brakes. As the bus comes to a halt, a few people are shaken awake. Most sleep on. Sound of the door opening. The BOY and the GIRL tug at their respective elders, who wake muttering, startled and unsure where they are.)

MAN

We’re not there, let me sleep.

WOMAN

Oh my God! What a terrible . . . .

MAN

Are we?

WOMAN

Well, I guess we’d better . . . .

(rises, stretches, gathers her things)

MAN (looking out window:)

Well shit, lookit that. Whattaya know.

(picks up his briefcase)

Let’s go, boy. What’re ya sittin for? Sleepy or somethin?

WOMAN

Come on. You can sleep in a warm cozy bed. A nice still bed in a room. That’s not moving.

MAN

Boy, I feel . . . just . . . .

DRIVER

Come on, clear out, get off, we got a schedule ta keep.

MAN

Hold your horses, now.

WOMAN

My feeble bones just can’t . . . .

(The father and grandmother get off. Silence. The BOY and GIRL stare at one another.)

Hey! You awake there?! What are ya, deaf ‘n dumb? Get off my boat! This train’s sailin!

(Finally the stare is broken. The two look at the driver, exit.)

(Father and grandmother smile at one another, but say nothing and begin walking, in opposite directions.)

(Son and GIRL stay behind, stopped, staring at each other, still, silent, for a long while. Sound of bus departing again; [bus, driver and passengers fade to black].)

(The BUS DRIVER has fallen asleep, and is about to go off the road. Suddenly wakes, swerves; boy and girl scream, other passengers wake. Sound of brakes. Bus comes to a stop. DRIVER sweating and shaking; opens door. MAN, BOY, WOMAN and GIRL exit as above. Bus drives off [fade to black]. Then:)